Earl of Jersey
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| Earldom of Jersey | |
|---|---|
heirs male of the body lawfully begotten | |
| Subsidiary titles | Viscount Grandison (Ireland) Viscount Villiers (England) Baron Villiers (England) |
| Seat(s) | Radier Manor |
| Former seat(s) | Osterley Park |
| Motto | Fidei coticula crux (Latin for 'The cross is the touchstone of faith')[1] |
Earl of Jersey, is a title in the Peerage of England. It is held by a branch of the Villiers family, which since 1819 has been the Child Villiers family.
History
The earldom was created in 1697 for the statesman
A member of the prominent Villiers family, he was the grandson of Sir Edward Villiers, brother of
His son, the fourth Earl, was a politician and served as
On account of the considerable wealth brought to the family through this marriage, in 1819, Lord Jersey assumed by Royal licence the surname and arms of Child, and since then the branch of the family has been known as Child-Villiers.
He was succeeded by his son, the seventh Earl. He served in the second
As of 2017[update] the titles are held by the latter's grandson, the tenth Earl, who succeeded in 1998. He is the eldest son of George Henry Villiers, Viscount Villiers (1948–1998), eldest son of the ninth Earl. Lord Jersey is an actor, writer and producer, known professionally as William Villiers.[1][3]
The
The present family seat is Radier Manor, on the island of Jersey. Previous family seats were Middleton Park in Oxfordshire and Osterley Park in Middlesex.
The Earls of Jersey are also in remainder of the title of Duke of Marlborough, for being descendants of one of the daughters of his daughters, by primogeniture, and their heirs male of the 1st Duke.
The parish church of All Saints at Middleton Stoney, near Middleton Park, is the burial place of most of the Earls of Jersey.[4]
Earl of Clarendon
Another member of the family to gain distinction was the Hon. Thomas Villiers, second son of the second Earl. He was created Earl of Clarendon in 1776 (see this title for more information on this branch of the family).
Jacobite earldoms of Jersey
In April 1716, two Jacobite earldoms of Jersey were created by the Old Pretender, the first for Barbara, née Chiffinch, the widow of the first Earl of the 1697 creation, and the other for their eldest son (who succeeded as second Earl of the 1697 creation) with the subsidiary titles Viscount Dartford and Baron Hoo. The first became extinct on the Countess's death in 1735.
Earls of Jersey (1697)
- Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey (1656–1711)
- William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey (died 1721)
- William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey (died 1769)
- Frederick William Villiers, Viscount Villiers (1734–1742)
- George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey (1735–1805)
- George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey (1773–1859)
- George Augustus Frederick Child-Villiers, 6th Earl of Jersey (1808–1859)
- Victor Albert George Child-Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey (1845–1915)
- George Henry Robert Child-Villiers, 8th Earl of Jersey (1873–1923)
- George Francis Child-Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey (1910–1998)
- George Child Villiers, Viscount Villiers (1948–1998)
- (George Francis) William Child-Villiers, 10th Earl of Jersey (born 1976)
The heir apparent is the present holder's only son, George Henry William Child-Villiers, Viscount Villiers (born 2015)
See also
- Jersey
- Duke of Buckingham (1623 creation)
- Earl of Anglesey (1623 creation)
- Viscount Purbeck
- Earl of Clarendon (1776 creation)
- Viscount Grandison
- Villiers baronets
- Osterley Park
References
- ^ ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 330.
- ^ "William Villiers". IMDB.com.
- ^ "Church of All Saints, Middleton Stoney". English Heritage. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
Book cited
- Hesilrige, Arthur G. M. (1921). Debrett's Peerage and Titles of courtesy. London, UK: Dean & Son. p. 508.
